Vera Frisén grew up in Umeå in the 1920s, inspired by exhibitions with plein air painters, which led her to study art with Otte Sköld in Stockholm in 1928. There she developed quickly and focussed on croquis and portraits, with Sköld’s emphasis on nature making a lasting impression on her. The landscapes of western Ostrobothnia and Norrbothnia, especially the arctic summer night, became central motifs in her nocturnal paintings. In 1929, she contracted tuberculosis, which impaired her career. In the 1930s, she struggled with the disease and was repeatedly forced to spend time in sanatoria. Vera developed a close friendship with the Danish artist Ellen Byström and visited Denmark several times in the 1930s. In 1939, they travelled to Cagnes-sur-Mer on the Côte d’Azur, but the approaching Second World War forced them to return home in August. Although they left much of their work behind, Vera managed to take some paintings and sketchbooks with her. When she made her debut at the Färg och Form exhibition in Stockholm in 1941, she was showered with praise by the critics. She made her celebrated debut in Stockholm in 1941, but her breakthrough remained difficult as she avoided public attention. Nevertheless, she continued to paint and develop new techniques. Shortly before her death in 1989, she celebrated a comeback in Stockholm.